


Monologue

by akanyanen



Category: Kanjani8 (Band)
Genre: Boxer AU, Light Angst, M/M, Realization of Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-07
Updated: 2012-11-07
Packaged: 2019-01-10 03:29:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12290250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akanyanen/pseuds/akanyanen
Summary: Ryo is a self-destructive boxer who meets up with his friend from middle school, Uchi.





	Monologue

Outside of baseball, Uchi has never really had much of an interest in sports. He's never felt the desire to watch a boxing match, let along venture to one of the underground ones where no one wears protective gear (stupid masochists, Uchi thinks) and just end up bloodied and beaten with nothing to show for it.

The reason he's even here today, the sweat already starting to bead on his temples in the poorly ventilated room, is because his friend from work invited him. (He's pretty sure his friend's girlfriend--smart girl--bailed on him.)

When the boxer first steps out, shirtless and tanned skin stretched over sleek muscle, Uchi can't help but stare. 

He long ago figured out that while girls are nice and all, his preferences lean heavily towards people who have both the X- and Y-chromosomes. 

This guy, from his vantage point closer to the makeshift ring, fits two of the three things (tall, dark and handsome) he looks for in guys. 

His cocky smile as he bounces on the balls of his feet, fists pulled up by his face, oozes confidence. It's kind of hot, Uchi thinks, the way his sweat glistens slightly and accentuates his muscles so that they look even more defined. 

~~~

 

Yoko drags Uchi into the makeshift locker room with him after it's all over. The hot boxer from before is there and Uchi's eyes can't help but slide up and over his body, admiring the toned muscles. 

"Ryo, this is Uchi Hiroki," Yoko starts and Uchi's eyes widen. It can't be, right?

"Uchi, this is Nishikido Ryo," Yoko finishes. "I have to go talk to the manager. Meet me back at the car in thirty, Uchi."

Uchi nods his head, "Okay."

"…Uchi?" Ryo asks tentatively, "Uchi Hiroki? You're from Osaka right?"

Uchi pauses for a second still trying to place him despite the swelling and discoloration around his eye that makes it a little difficult. 

It dawns on him a few seconds later. "Wait, seriously, Nishikido Ryo? From middle school?" 

Ryo laughs, his smile huge, and puts a hand on his shoulder. 

"It's been forever," Uchi grins. 

"I haven't seen you since your family moved," Ryo says back, sounding just as excited about this as Uchi is. 

"Yeah, since my dad got transferred into Tokyo," Uchi says, still grinning so wide his cheeks feel like they're going to split. Ryo was his favorite senpai in school. They were only a year apart and had known each other since elementary. 

"You should give me your number," Uchi says, pulling out his phone. Ryo grins back at him, reaching into his pocket. 

"Yeah." Ryo grins harder, flipping open his phone. 

"We should go out sometime," Uchi adds, closing his phone once the data transfer is done. 

"I have another match next Friday, if you wanted to come?" Ryo adds, pocketing his phone and pulling on his wifebeater thrown over the back of the chair. 

"That'd be good. I think I'm free," Uchi says, trying not to be obvious in the way he's fascinated by Ryo's arm muscles. 

~~~

 

"Good job," Uchi grins at him as Ryo comes back into the locker room after his win. Ryo matches it, still wiping the sweat from his shoulders with a towel. Uchi's gaze follows it as he slides it over his chest. 

"Do you want to get some drinks after?" Ryo asks, sounding slightly shy, eyes sliding over Uchi. He's in plain clothes this time, not in his work suit. 

"That would be great," Uchi says genuinely. He didn't know how much he'd missed Ryo until they ran into each other again. 

"Let me get changed," Ryo says, grabbing a towel and heading off to shower. 

"'Kay." Uchi waves him off, eyes sliding down the lines of Ryo's back and wondering if all those feelings from years ago came right back once he saw Ryo again. They were supposed to just be a stupid childish thing, not something that pops back up years later. 

Uchi hasn't changed much, Ryo notes. He still laughs in the same uncontrolled and uninhibited way that always made Ryo grin. He's gotten more….attractive? Ryo finds himself thinking. He's not quite sure how to describe it. Uchi's filled out nicely, no longer the scrawny, awkward kid he knew. 

"What have you been up to since junior high?" Uchi asks him and Ryo's hand pauses midair as he lifts his beer. 

Ryo shrugs his shoulders. "Part time stuff and boxing, mostly." 

Besides the occasional night when Jin or Kusano drag him out to get shitfaced, Ryo doesn't go out much. 

The night progresses from there to walking side by side through a nearby park, their shoulders brushing occasionally. They aren't drunk, only had two or three drinks. 

"Don't freak out, okay?" Uchi grins despite the slight hint of seriousness in his voice. 

"Should I be scared?" Ryo drawls half kidding and half seriously wondering if he should be worried. Uchi did tend to …surprise him. 

"I hope you won't run away," Uchi says lightly, trying to keep things from getting weird. 

Ryo scoffs, not sounding serious at all, "Normally I'd say I won't, but who knows with you."

Uchi just shrugs, looking amused. He doesn't like to waste time. He's wanted to say this for years, wished he could have done it back then before he left.  
"I had a thing for you back then," Uchi admits, able to keep a steady voice.

"A ...thing?" Ryo laughs a bit, not because it's funny but because he can't believe what he's hearing. Uchi? A thing? 

Uchi is sort of looking at him out of the corner of his eye, and when Ryo catches him he smiles, slightly awkward. 

Not one to pass up an opportunity to tease a friend, Uchi grins at him, "Like, I wanted to kiss you and thought you were maybe sort of hot?" 

"I am hot," Ryo says, focusing on that still trying to process Uchi liking him that way. 

Uchi throws his head back and laughs. 

"Hey, " Ryo warns, not liking how it seems like Uchi is laughing at him (again), frowning at him. Uchi manages to calm down a little. Maybe he still hasn't gotten over his 'thing', his heart beating fast in his chest. 

"You haven't changed at all," Uchi says. He's going for exasperated, but it sounds fond more than anything.

"You could try…it now," Ryo suggests, halfway joking, but with the way his eyes flick down to Uchi's mouth it's a little too obvious that he actually wants it more than he's letting on. 

Ryo likes girls but he's bent the rules before. 

"Try what?" Uchi asks. 

Ryo rolls his eyes. "If you going to play dumb, then forget it." 

Uchi tries not to smirk too hard, looking over his shoulder, making sure no one is around before he leans down, pressing his lips against Ryo's briefly. 

"What was that?" Ryo asks, amused when they break apart a few seconds later.

"What?" Uchi pouts. 

"That wasn't a kiss," Ryo says, tugging and pushing at Uchi until he's up against a tree, the bark pressing into his back. It's a bit uncomfortable, but the way Ryo's studying his lips makes him forget about it in favor of trying to figure out where this is going.

Ryo leans in again, pressing their lips together and sliding a hand into his hair. Uchi grins against his lips, pulling Ryo closer by the hips and kissing harder, opening his mouth when Ryo's tongue tries to press in. 

Uchi pulls back, leaning his head back while Ryo presses soft kisses across his jaw.

"What was that?" Uchi asks, slightly out of breath.

"What?" Ryo asks, raising an eyebrow.

"That wasn't a kiss," Uchi teases, voice unsteady like his knees.

"Like you could do better," Ryo scoffs, trying not to grin too hard when Uchi leans in again to prove him wrong.

~~~

 

Uchi isn't quite sure what happens, only knows that after they both got home that night he found himself hanging out with Ryo more often.

Drinks and stumbling around in the park before getting on their respective trains home turned into movies at Uchi's place or just hanging out at Ryo's place, both reluctant to leave at night. 

Even more recent was the sort of almost relationship they had going. Uchi didn't care that much about labeling it, but they did do date-like things, and they did things together. He wonders what Ryo's calling this thing they have. Uchi thinks he sort of likes him. He wonders if Ryo feels the same.

It's only been two months since they met. They have time to figure it out. 

~~~

 

One of the things Uchi finds sexiest about Ryo is his arms. They're toned and Uchi especially likes it when they're on either side of his head, his palms spread flat against the tile of the shower wall, making Uchi feel trapped, dominated and that much more desperate for attention of any kind Ryo has to offer.

The way he's this hot and bothered would be slightly embarrassing if Uchi had even an ounce of shame, but right now he's too focused on how good Ryo's body feels pressed up against his in all the right places.

"Touch me already," Uchi whines, breathing heavily. He can't stop the shudder when Ryo's lips find the sensitive spot on his neck, behind his jaw, and spends enough time there to leave a mark that will last for days. 

Uchi curls his own hand around Ryo's bicep when the hand Ryo has gripped tightly around his cock starts sliding up and down in a steady rhythm, thumb rubbing across the very tip at random on the upstroke. 

Soft moans fall from his lips and Ryo's press against his, muffling his noises. The kiss is rough and possessive and it makes Uchi's knees go weak. Ryo's mouth moves down across Uchi's jaw, seemingly unbothered by the prickly sensation, and continues on over his throat. 

"Is it good?" Ryo asks, hand moving faster and Uchi can only mumble, head tilted back and eyes squeezed shut. Ryo laughs, voice strained. Uchi manages to keep upright by leaning back against the wall, letting go, the dirty things Ryo keeps whispering against his ear making it that much better. 

Ryo's grinding against Uchi's bare thigh, hand moving faster and causing Uchi to gasp and clutch at him as he gets closer, twitching and breathing harder when he's at the edge. Ryo kisses him, flicking his wrist and then Uchi's gone, coming hard over Ryo's hand, the mess quickly washing away in the spray of the shower. 

Uchi's still trying to catch his breath. It doesn't help that he and Ryo are kissing again, wet and hot. 

Then he notices Ryo still hard, pressed against his thigh.

Uchi smirks. "Let me help." 

"Mmm," Ryo mumbles biting his lip while his own hand slides smoothly up and down over his cock, movements aided by the water. 

Uchi slides down to his knees, the spray from the shower wetting his hair, but he pays it no mind, hands gripping Ryo's hips while he presses soft kisses against his thighs slowly moving closer to where Ryo's cock is jutting out. 

Ryo starts breathing heavily, noises getting stuck in his throat, as Uchi's teasing starts to take its toll. He makes a rather embarrassing noise when Uchi's mouth, warm and wet, slides over the tip, sucking gently and tongue swirling around it a few times.

"Fuck," Ryo exhales, hands sliding down to rest on Uchi's shoulders, squeezing hard when Uchi starts tracing the vein on the underside of his cock before briefly sucking on just the tip, then stopping and repeating the motion. 

It's a natural, pretty much uncontrollable urge, Uchi knows, to want to shove your cock down the throat of whoever is blowing you. That doesn't mean Uchi appreciates Ryo's hips snapping forward almost choking him, though. Ryo seems to like it when Uchi gets a little rough back, holding Ryo's hips firmly in place while he takes Ryo in as far as he can go, slowly inch by inch, until his eyes tear up slightly and Ryo's knees tremble. 

Uchi pulls back, teasing the tip again and going back down, hand gripping what doesn't fit in his mouth as his lips slide back and forth. Ryo's mesmerized, looking down between his legs and seeing his own cock disappear into Uchi's mouth. It's really hot and his mouth feels so good. 

Ryo sort of half mumbles, and Uchi just hums lightly, fingers brushing Ryo's balls. That's what has him groaning out loud, head slamming back against the wall. 

He's so close and Uchi tongue flicking the sensitive tip of his cock before sliding, down, down, down until it touches the soft back of his throat has his muscles tensing up while he pulls at Uchi's hair and tries to tell him he's going to come. Uchi quickly stands up and tugs on Ryo's cock, letting white stripes hit his stomach before the spray washes it down the drain. 

Then Ryo's in his mouth and they're kissing again, hard and rough, Ryo pulling Uchi close until they're pressed wetly together.

~~~

 

"Holy shit, what happened?" Uchi asks when Ryo turns up at his apartment on Friday night, after his fight.

His eye is swollen shut and it looks like he's sore, wincing when he bends down to take off his shoes. Uchi's helps him and leads him through the entranceway and makes him lie down on the couch before he tries to do anything too stupid.

"I'm fine, just need ice," Ryo says, hissing when he shifts. 

Uchi frowns, obviously displeased, and is a little less than careful when he presses ice wrapped in thin cloth to Ryo's black eye. 

"You haven't changed at all," Uchi scoffs lightly, and Ryo grins up at him, wincing when the motion pulls at his split lip. It's true; Ryo got into a fair numbers of fights during high school, whenever someone would call him a midget or make fun of his height. 

Uchi didn't like seeing him beat up back then, and he doesn't like it any more today. The bruises are worse and so is the lurching in his stomach. 

~~~

 

"Hey, why don't you do something like that?" Uchi asks pointing at the screen. Japan's Wrestling World is playing a match: Panman vs Babuman it looks like. 

"Yeah, so I can fight someone with a loaf of French bread sewn into their underwear right over their dick?" Ryo rolls his eyes. He's too good for that. He wouldn't be caught dead in a cowboy hat with suit that blew bubbles. 

Uchi laughs at that.

"You could be…what would you be..." Uchi looks thoughtful.

Ryo glares at him. "Don't even."

"Rice boy," Uchi says after a minute or two looking gleeful. "You like rice and you're small and cute like a little boy."

Ryo doesn't look amused. It makes Uchi laugh harder, slapping his thighs and pointing at him.

"Shut up!" Ryo yells, not sounding as annoyed as he's pretending to be. 

"But you don't want to go pro?" Uchi asks seriously, sounding curious. 

"Not that way," Ryo answers. 

"No, I mean like for boxing. You could join an actual gym and try to go pro?" Uchi has always wondered why, if Ryo likes boxing so much, he doesn't try to do something with it. What is he getting out of underground, unofficial boxing matches besides bruises and injuries? 

"I did once. I don't want to do it," Ryo says with finality, obviously not wanting to continue the conversation. 

Uchi notices the tension, slightly annoyed himself. He doesn't get why Ryo is wasting time doing this when he has no aspiration to go anywhere with it. It isn't the Ryo he knew in high school who was motivated and had dreams. 

"I bet I could get Yasu to design your costume, maybe get a rice paddy type hat and make your boxing shorts out of the grass, if you ever decide to go with Wrestling World," Uchi teases. 

Despite himself, Ryo laughs rolls his eyes. 

"I'll keep that in mind." 

~~~

 

Uchi's given up going to Ryo's matches. He doesn't like watching him get beat up. He makes up excuses, how he has projects and work to finish at home. Uchi doesn't think he's fooling Ryo; he's too perceptive and knows Uchi too well. Ryo sometimes comes over after, but Uchi figures it's when he isn't hurt that bad. 

"Lay down and shut up," Uchi orders, pushing forcefully down on Ryo's chest when he tries to sit up. 

"Hey, it's only a few cuts and bruises," Ryo argues, but he doesn't try to move again.

Uchi's movements are angry as he swabs at another cut with antibacterial ointment. Ryo hisses slightly at the sting. He's shown neither sympathy nor mercy as Uchi moves right onto the next cut. 

"Holy shit, be more rough why don't you?" Ryo grumbles. 

"You're so stupid," Uchi complains right back. 

Ryo rolls his eyes at the irony. 

"I'm not stupid."

Ryo winces again, tensing up when Uchi works on the next cut. 

"Quit being a baby," Uchi says, but he uses a little less pressure. 

Ryo's only answer is to glare up at him and then hiss when Uchi touches another tender spot. 

Uchi notices right away. It's rather obvious, when Ryo's hands start sliding over his thighs. Ryo must have figured the chance of being yelled at worth risking for sex. Horny bastard, Uchi thinks, although he himself isn't opposed to the idea. 

"I still think you're stupid," Uchi mumbles, but he's already sliding all the way on to Ryo's lap, grinding down against him and liking the way Ryo's hands feel when they come up to rest on his hips. 

"Whatever," Ryo breathes. "Keep doing that." Uchi rocks his hips forward again, the friction feeling good. Ryo's hands squeeze harder, his hips shifting up unconsciously when Uchi gets the motion just right. 

"Your jeans," Ryo mumbles, hand reaching for the button and brushing over Uchi's groin, making him falter in his pace and moan. They're both hard, friction of their jeans together feeling good but still to restrictive. They want more. 

Uchi works a shaking hand in between them, leaning down to kiss Ryo heatedly as he works the button of his jeans open. Uchi's tongue slides into his mouth as Ryo's hands slide down to grab at his ass, thrusting up and grinding them together, swallowing down Uchi's noises. 

Ryo gets a hand around Uchi and starts stroking slowly, pace speeding up when Uchi's hand grips tight around his cock and then he's kissing across Ryo's jaw, stopping by his ear and staying there, shaking and breathing hard against him. 

"Wait," Uchi says, voice deep and hot against Ryo's ear. He sits up pushing Ryo's hand out of the way and grabbing both of their cocks, stroking them together, watching Ryo's head fall back against the pillow, Adam's apple bobbing as he speeds up the pace. 

Ryo's quiet as he gets closer, biting his lip and watching Uchi, the feel of their cocks together and Uchi's hand around them, fingers running over the heads, has his toes curling. 

"Faster." Ryo's breath catches, hand moving down to cover Uchi's and speed things up. He's close and he can tell Uchi's getting there too by the soft noises and catches in his breathing. 

Uchi presses the heads together and slides a thumb through the slit and it has Ryo's hips jerking and coming with a loud groan over Uchi's fingers. It doesn't take Uchi long to follow, collapsing on top of Ryo and shaking as he comes down. 

Ryo's hand is warm underneath his shirt and Uchi takes a few breaths, his heart still pounding in his ears. 

"You're heavy," Ryo mumbles lightly, grinning when Uchi pinches his side and not protesting when Uchi ignores him in favor of sliding their lips together. It takes a few false starts but Uchi eventually gets up, cleaning them both up. 

Ryo winces, still sore from the match, a bruise blossoming on his cheek. Uchi looks at it, frowning again.

"You're dumb," Uchi says, careful when he brings back some ice from the kitchen for Ryo's face. 

"You're one to talk," Ryo throws back, taking it and pressing it over his cheek. 

Uchi rolls his eyes but drops it for tonight. 

~~~

 

"Uh, Uchi," Ryo starts, voice small, and Uchi feels something like worry wash over him.

"Something happen, Ryo-chan? What's wrong?" Uchi sits up in bed. It's late. Damn it, Ryo. 

"…I got fired," Ryo admits. 

"What?" Uchi asks, "Today?" 

There's a pause and it sounds like a train going by on Ryo's end. 

"A month ago," Ryo admits, laughing bitterly afterward. 

"Wait, you don't have another?" Uchi asks.

Ryo's silent on the other end for a few seconds, "I have applications in, but…"

"Your apartment?"

"I have my stuff over at Jin's and Kusano's," Ryo's voice trails off. 

"Idiot, you don't have to ask if you can stay with me," Uchi says softly, but he's still pissed off that Ryo didn't tell him about this. 

Ryo laughs. "Don't call me an idiot, idiot." 

Uchi grins, still worried but trying to conceal it. "Come over tonight."

"Uchi," Ryo starts his voice quiet, "Thank you."

~~~

 

Ryo cooks for him the first night. Maybe it's because he feels bad for moving in so suddenly, not giving Uchi much of a choice. 

"I'll pay rent," Ryo says firmly, watching Uchi's face as he eats.

Uchi makes some sort of moaning noise around the stew in his mouth. 

Ryo is torn between grinning and rolling his eyes.

"You don't have to, just cook like this," Uchi says, mouth full of rice. 

Ryo shakes his head. "You're ridiculous."

Uchi shrugs. He can't deny something that is obviously true. 

"Wait, you made pudding too?" Uchi's face lights up when he catches sight of it.

Ryo looks slightly embarrassed, and Uchi catches on and grins.

"You're cute," Uchi laughs. 

"Shut up," Ryo grouches, passing one to him and watching carefully as Uchi takes a spoonful. 

"It's really good," Uchi says, face scrunched up, before he takes another bite. 

Ryo is grinning from ear to ear. He sometimes wishes he would have gone to cooking school. He likes doing it. 

~~~

 

Uchi doesn't like the way anxiety twists in his gut, having to come home to Ryo beaten up and sprawled out on the ratty couch. He hates wondering how many more bruises will be covering his body after each fight. 

He opens the door and Ryo's shoes haphazardly kicked-off in the entryway threaten to trip him up when he steps into the apartment. 

"Ryo-chan?" Uchi calls out into the apartment, the faint noise of the television reaching his ears. 

When there'ss no answer, Uchi rolls his eyes, making his way through the kitchen and leaving the takeout containers on the counter. 

"Hey, Asshole. I brought home curry…if you don't ans—" Uchi's breath catches in his throat at Ryo asleep on the couch in front of the TV, black brace on his forearm. 

Ryo grumbles, twitching as he starts to wake up. 

"You're so loud," he complains, blinking up at Uchi's worried expression.

"What happened?" Uchi asks.

"Just a sprained wrist. Not a big deal. I can go back in a few weeks," Ryo says dismissively. He doesn't like worrying Uchi and really, it's only a sprain. It won't take that long to heal. 

~~~

 

Ryo goes back again and when they're living together, Uchi has to see every bruise and cut, how Ryo works himself into the ground doing this for little to no reward. He can't get a job looking dangerous with bruises and split lips from his boxing matches, but he refuses to focus on boxing completely. 

Ryo doesn't like it when Uchi mentions anything like that to him, tired of having people lecture him about his future and what he wants to do. He doesn't know, but right now he likes boxing. 

"You could get a job, a real job," Uchi says one night after Ryo comes home from another match, grabbing a cloth and putting cubes of ice in it, twisting it up into a makeshift icepack.

"Like what? A boring job where I have to wear a suit and kiss ass all day?" Ryo snaps, shoulders squared. He sits down at the table and covers his cheek with the pack. 

"We both know they wouldn't take anything less than a college degree anyways," Ryo says. Uchi knows that too, but he wasn't necessarily talking about an office job. Anything where there is a steady paycheck and he isn't guaranteed injuries of varying degrees of severity. 

"So, you're going to fight until you get old enough to collect pension?" Uchi argues, arms crosses over his chest. "Please. You can't do this forever and when you're too old, what will you have besides one or two left over teeth?" 

"I won't have a beer belly or have to maintain a comb over. And what makes you so much better than me?" Ryo glares. 

"You're wasting your potential. You said yourself you didn't want to go pro." Uchi isn't going to back down this time. 

"I never said I wanted to stop. Why in the hell are you lecturing me about my future?" Ryo is angry, frustration leaking into his voice. 

"Because you're being stupid and stubborn," Uchi snaps back, unable to keep the anger from his voice. 

"It is none of your business," Ryo says coolly. "So stop bringing it up."

"Fine. Whatever, Ryo," Uchi says, visibly deflating, tired of arguing with him. When Uchi retreats to the bedroom, Ryo doesn't follow, opting to sleep on the couch. 

He's not sure whether he likes it that way or if he wanted Ryo to come in. 

~~~

 

"What's the matter?" Yasu asks, looking concerned when Uchi comes in to work on Monday. 

"Nothing. I'm fine." Uchi smiles back, not wanting to worry him. 

"That's obviously not true," Yasu says, hand resting softly on his shoulder. 

"Just a small fight," Uchi admits, "but it is okay now." 

It's sort of true. They talk, but it is never about boxing. Ryo tends to come back late on Friday nights, after he's sure Uchi's gone to sleep, and Uchi says nothing. 

 

~~~

 

Ryo still hasn't quite processed the fact that he's sitting here withSubaru, after so long. Subaru had been at his gym when he'd first started out but had actually made it. He was able to go pro before retiring early. Then Ryo quit and ended up at the underground house. 

Ryo thinks Subaru's probably the closest thing he's ever had to a role model in his life. 

"It's been a while," Subaru says, mumbling into his beer. 

Ryo replies with a mumble of his own.

Okay, this is only really awkward, Ryo thinks. 

Subaru seems to think so too, and it seems like he is going to be direct today. 

"Yoko said you don't know if you want to keep boxing?" Subaru asks.  
Ryo frowns, still not sure how he feels. 

"I can't go pro. Not good enough," Ryo says, "but I like boxing here."

Subaru nods.  
"Boxing was never my dream," he admits.  
"I didn't realize that until the injury." He takes a drink. "I could have gone back, but I decided just leaving and going for what I actually wanted was best."

Ryo looks surprised. He'd always thought that Subaru retired because his injury wouldn't allow him to continue his career. 

"What did you want to do?" Ryo asks, curious now.

"Sing." Subaru grins. "I started a band."

Ryo laughs once. He supposes it suits Subaru. 

"Remember Panman?" Subaru asks.

"The guy with the French bread—"

"Over his cock, yes. He's a bassist. Maruyama. He's awesome," Subaru says, eyes lighting up as he tells Ryo more and more about music. 

Ryo admits he has a guitar too, Subaru smiles at him and Ryo smiles back. The conversation isn't helping Ryo figure out what to do, but he thinks maybe he could find something else like Subaru has. 

~~~

 

Ryo finds himself in the ring again, distracted from the fight. He's still replaying the meeting with Subaru in his head. He's not sure what he should do. Pondering this during a match doesn't end well for Ryo; he doesn't see the fist coming until its too late. 

He wakes up later, in the hospital with Uchi by his side. Ryo says nothing. He knows this is bad and now Uchi isn't going to let it go. He slides his legs over the side of the hospital bed. 

"You were knocked unconscious, Ryo," Uchi snaps. 

"It happens. I'm fine now," Ryo snaps back, grabbing his jeans off the back of the chair and pulling them on over his boxers, fumbling slightly with the belt.

"This isn't a little black eye or a busted lip. If you keep doing this, you could die." Uchi raises his voice, hoping Ryo doesn't notice the slight tremor in it. 

Ryo glares at him. "I'm not going to die from a small knock to the head, Uchi. I won't stop, and if you have a problem with it you can get the fuck out." 

Uchi sighs angrily, his movements rigid as he helps pack Ryo's bag. 

"The doctors said someone needs to observe you for the night and if your symptoms get worse, you have to come back," Uchi says in a clipped tone. 

Ryo relaxes his shoulders slightly, glad Uchi is going to let the subject drop for now. He'll probably have to "talk" to Uchi again in the morning. 

He knows he can't keep doing this forever. He doesn't want to do it forever, maybe not even for much longer, but what else is there for a high school dropout to do nowadays? 

He's good at fighting. Not good enough to go very far but good enough to dominate the underground house he's fighting at. 

It doesn't pay much at all, next to nothing, but with this and his part-time work, he can at least scrape together enough to get by. 

~~~

 

"I'm not doing this again," Uchi says quietly, resignation in his tone and his expression regretful. 

This is a great conversation to have in the morning, Ryo thinks. His head still hurts and he's sluggish. Ryo doesn't say anything, doesn't really know what to say since it's what Uchi wants after all. "No one asked you to, Uchi," he says. 

"You're really going to keep doing it?" Uchi asks looking down at his hands.

"Are you asking me to stop for you?" Ryo looks at him, voice clipped.

"I'm asking you to stop for your own sake." Uchi stares right back at him. 

"Don't even. You don't understand what you're talking about." 

Uchi sighs, frustrated, "I'm tired of seeing you hurt. There are vocational schools. You aren't limited to just this." 

Ryo's head hurts and his body is sore. It's also really early in the morning and he doesn't want to deal with this now.

"That's a selfish reason to make me quit. If you don't like it, don't look." Ryo glares at him.

"That isn't why and you know it." Uchi looks angrier than Ryo's ever seen him. 

"It is. I should move out since you clearly can't handle a few bruises." Ryo's eyes flash. He's tired of the lectures and the pressure. He turns around, heading back to the bedroom. He has a duffel somewhere in there. 

"Ryo, wait," Uchi says, watching Ryo's shoulders tense up, turning slightly towards him.

"Yeah?" 

"I'm going back to Osaka for New Year's," Uchi starts but is cut off.

"Ah, have a good time," Ryo replies, clearly wanting to be done talking. 

Uchi wants to roll his eyes. This is stupid! Such a stupid fight, but he doesn't feel like backing down now, not when Ryo refuses to listen to reason. 

"Are you going home too?" Uchi asks tentatively. 

"Not that it should matter to you but, no, I'm not," Ryo says. 

"Don't be like this, if you want to move out when I come back I won't stop you, but you should stay here while I'm gone." Uchi sighs, watching Ryo's shoulders relax slightly. 

"I'm going to lay down," Ryo mumbles. He doesn't know what he should do. 

~~~

 

Ryo doesn't miss Uchi or his loud laugh or when he comes home and tells stupid not funny stories about his manager Kamenashi or his desk neighbor Yasuda.

He's fine on his own. He certainly isn't lonely without Uchi. 

Uchi doesn't miss Ryo either. He's done worrying about him. Ryo's too stubborn and he doesn't want to be around that. 

He isn't lonely and doesn't miss Ryo at all. He has his family and his dogs. He really wishes he could see them more often. 

The two weeks that Uchi got off seem to fly by. 

~~~

 

Uchi checks his voicemail the morning he comes back from vacation, not stopping off at the apartment before he goes on shift. He has a missed call from Jin and three from Kusano. 

Ryo is in the hospital. The fight Sunday night ended badly. Uchi's hearts beats faster as he listens: Ryo took a fall and landed on his shoulder wrong. Light concussion from where he hit his head on the floor. No word on what he did to his shoulder yet.

Ryo wouldn't want him there, Uchi reasons, trying to focus on the report he has to write today. 

"Yokoyama, sir, what's the problem?" Uchi asks when he's called into his office an hour later.

"Cut the formalities. Are you going to see Ryo or aren't you?" Yoko says, watching Uchi's reaction. Uchi supposes he isn't too surprised Yoko knows. He's friends with the venue's manager. 

"I… there's work, the project is--" Uchi says, trying to find a viable excuse. 

"You're both dumb." Yoko sighs, looking put upon. Why can't they get this? 

"You take the rest of the day off. You know where the hospital is," Yoko says firmly.

"I—we're not together anymore," Uchi answers, lowering his voice.

Yoko makes a show of rolling his eyes. "You still care for him and he's been miserable. Go get it figured out."

"I just got back," Uchi says, and Yoko just raises an eyebrow as if to say 'So what?' 

Uchi looks torn for a second before he sighs. "I'll be back in tomorrow."

"Good. Yasu and Kamenashi will take care of it," Yoko says, sitting back down at his desk when Uchi excuses himself, propping his feet up on the edge of it.

"Kids." Yoko rolls his eyes. 

~~~

 

Ryo wakes up in the hospital, blinking and looking off to the right at the person sitting in the chair against the wall.

It's Uchi with bags under his eyes. He looks tired and rumpled, still dressed in his grey work suit.

Ryo doesn't know what to say. He hasn't seen Uchi in weeks. Since they fought that day. 

He tries to shift and there's a searing pain in his shoulder that causes him to hiss and grind his teeth together. Uchi starts to stand up but when Ryo leans back, he sits back down.

"Uchi, I…" Ryo starts awkwardly, since Uchi isn't trying to break the silence between them. He's just staring, waiting for Ryo to say something. 

When he can't find the words after a few minutes, Uchi steps in and fills the silence.

"You messed up your shoulder pretty bad when you fell in the last match," Uchi starts, voice quiet and calm considering the situation. This is the second time he's seen Ryo unconscious in the hospital and been there when he's woken up.

"How bad?" Ryo asks, his heart racing, hoping against hope that it doesn't mean the end of his career.

Uchi sighs, looking over at the news scene flashing across the muted television.

"You tore your rotary cuff." Uchi pauses, shifting awkwardly, before trailing off, unsure of what to say.

"Another match would…" Ryo asks, his mouth suddenly dry and voice rough. 

An angry look flashes over Uchi's face before he schools his expression into a neutral one. 

"You'll damage it more. You can talk to the doctor in detail about it," Uchi says calmly. "I wasn't told that much."

If he fights again, he'll make the shoulder injury worse. You can't fight one handed and expect to make any money.

He's done. With broken bones, you can keep going after they heal, but when you've fucked up a joint and the muscles and ligaments around it, you're just asking for trouble if you keep stressing it. 

The nurse comes in a second later to fluff pillows and check Ryo's status. 

"Where's Ohkura?" Ryo asks a second later when the girl gets done. 

"He's assisting in another ward today. Doctor Yamashita will be in to talk with you in a moment," She puts his chart back and bows out of the room quietly.

They sit together in silence for a few minutes, Uchi and Ryo avoiding looking at each other.

"Alright, Ryo we have the x-rays back from your shoulder," Yamashita says, sliding them up on the display, nodding at Uchi quickly before he turns the light on. 

"Good news; no fracture," Yamashita pauses, looking reluctant for a second. 

"You do have a pretty severe rotary cuff tear. It might require surgery," Yamashita finishes. "If it's that severe, after surgery, the percentage of people who regain full use of it is quite good."

"Then I might be able to…" Ryo trails off, not wanting to sound too hopeful. 

Yamashita says nothing for a minute, frowning. 

"I would highly discourage it. You'll never have the same strength in it and you run the risk of injuring it further." 

"Aahh," Ryo says quietly, his fist clenching into the blue blankets. 

"I'm sorry. We'll keep you here for some more tests to make sure but we'll probably need to operate on your shoulder or you won't regain full mobility in it," Yamashita says, clearing his throat and checking Ryo's charts. 

"We'll send someone in a bit," he bows out, closing the door behind him. 

"I'm sorry," Uchi says awkwardly after he leaves.

Ryo says nothing.

"I didn't want anything like this to happen," Uchi adds.

"Well, you got what you wanted in the end. I can't box anymore," Ryo says, not meaning for it to come out as harsh as it does.

"That isn't fair," Uchi responds. He sounds more tired than anything.

Ryo grits his teeth together. 

"You're having a hard time now, but this isn't my fault," Uchi says quietly, looking at Ryo. 

There's silence for a few minutes, Uchi sitting in the visitor's chair while Ryo glares ahead at the wall. Ryo sighs, visibly deflating a little later.

"I know," Ryo admits, looking down at his hands.

"I'm sor—"

Uchi cuts him off. "I'm glad you're okay."

Ryo smiles at him. It's a little strained but Uchi will take it. 

~~~

 

The day of surgery, Uchi has to work but he gets there halfway through it and is there when Ryo is rolled out. 

"I was thinking," Ryo starts, a little goofy from the pain killers, "I like cooking."

Uchi grins at him, "You do make good pudding."

"I should go to school for that or something," Ryo slurs, looking sleepy. 

"You could," Uchi agrees, taking advantage of Ryo's state and brushing hair away from his forehead. 

"I like you," Ryo mumbles, looking like he's about to fall asleep. 

Uchi laughs quietly.

"You're cute, even if you're a jerk," Uchi says.

Ryo's glare is not at all intimidating when he's drugged. 

"I lied," Ryo tells Uchi. "I hate you."

"Love you too, Ryo-chan." Uchi laughs at him. 

~~~

 

Uchi comes back to their apartment—now that it's really theirs, Ryo living there for good. He sees pamphlets to all the vocational schools that have culinary programs in the Tokyo area. 

For Ryo's early birthday present, Uchi buys him a new set of cake pans, candy molds and various other cooking utensils from the catalogue Ryo had brought home with him a month ago. It was just to look at the things inside since he couldn't really afford any of them at the moment. 

There might have been a frilly apron thrown in there too, but Ryo decides he'll be generous and not punch him this time. 

"Does this mean you're going to make me chocolate for Valentine's Day?" Uchi teases, but he can't quite keep the hopeful note out of his voice.

Ryo snorts. "You make those for someone you like. I don't like you."

"You totally said you liked me." Uchi sticks his tongue out.

"I was drugged and not in my right mind," Ryo says flatly.

"You still owe me since you didn't get me anything this year." Uchi grins at him, ignoring the barb. 

Uchi is still grinning, flipping through the catalogue while Ryo looks at his interlaced fingers in his lap. 

"This really looks like a good school," Uchi says, passing it back to Ryo.

Ryo shrugs. He starts pretty soon. He's looking forward to it, his shoulder almost all the way healed. It'll be fine by the time he starts. 

~~~

 

Things are okay now. Finally, Uchi thinks. 

"Not going to wear the apron?" Uchi teases.

"You're hilarious," Ryo says dryly, finishing up the last of the decoration. 

"I thought so." Uchi beams right back, aware of Ryo's tone of voice but choosing to ignore it. Looking him up and down, the sleeves of his shirt pushed up his forearms and a white apron tied around his waist. 

Uchi moves closer, placing a hand on Ryo's lower back, peaking over Ryo's shoulder at what he's working on. 

"It looks good." Uchi grins.

"Of course it does," Ryo says cockily, grinning at the compliment. "Practicing a technique we learned in class."

"I get to taste test it and tell you if it is nasty," Uchi calls out, reaching into the frosting bowl only to have his hand smacked away. 

"No touching. You're banished from the kitchen." Ryo points towards the door. 

"Mean." Uchi pouts.

Ryo feels one of Uchi's hands sliding over his stomach, fingers resting lightly on the waistband of his jeans. 

Uchi is anything but subtle. Even so, Ryo's already weighing the benefits of giving in to Uchi and remaking the cake versus denying himself. Uchi's hand rubbing over the front of his jeans and lips pressing over his ear is just a little bit more persuasive than the lemon meringue. 

"I have to—" Ryo starts, but his breath catches and it turns into a shaky exhale. 

"Have to?" Uchi asks, voice low and husky against Ryo's ear. 

"Fuck, forget it," Ryo says turning around and shoving Uchi back against the refrigerator, pulling him down by the hair so they can kiss properly. Uchi moans in approval, tugging Ryo in close and moving their lips against each other, Ryo's tongue slipping into his mouth as the start to rub against each other. 

Uchi's heart is beating erratically and Ryo starting to harden against him turns him on more, his fingers frantically trying to work at the knot in Ryo's apron.  
"You look so hot," Uchi mumbles when Ryo's mouth sucks at his neck. It'll probably leave a mark but he can't be bothered to care at all. 

"Bed. Now," Ryo orders. Stumbling them through the kitchen and to the bedroom. Uchi loses his shirt somewhere along the way and Ryo's apron finally comes off, ending up in a heap on the floor between kisses. 

Uchi gets a hand in the back of Ryo's hair, pulling his head back and pressing their lips together in a bruising kiss. Ryo seems to like it by the way he's getting harder with each passing second, answering Uchi's kiss with just as much enthusiasm. Ryo finally gets them into the room and by the bed. Uchi finds himself toppled over, and then there are hands on his jeans, the belt being undone, followed slowly by the buttons on his jeans and the zipper. Uchi groans when Ryo's knuckles brush over his erection trapped in his briefs. 

"Like that?" Ryo asks, voice deep, and it has Uchi's hips shifting in search of friction. It comes in the form of Ryo's palm rubbing over the front of his underwear, free hand pulling down on his jeans until they're down by his knees. 

"Mmm," Uchi agrees, a bit breathless. 

Ryo chuckles, watching as Uchi's face contorts with pleasure. Then there is cool air hitting his cock and Uchi's eyes fly open to see Ryo leaning down, pressing kisses across Uchi's lower stomach moving closer and closer to where Uchi's cock is hard and red against his stomach. 

"Oh god," Uchi moans when Ryo's fingers grip the base and start working him. He's feet are dangling off the bed, the jeans not allowing him much room for movement. Ryo grins up at him, tongue flicking out and touching the tip of Uchi's cock lightly. 

Uchi looks down at Ryo, his eyes dark, and he moans, cock twitching. 

"Don't stop," Uchi whines breathlessly and Ryo laughs.

Then Ryo's tongue is tracing up along the vein on the underside and Uchi has to fight to keep his eyes open so he can watch. Ryo's mouth is covering the tip, wet and warm, and his lips circle tightly around. Uchi moans, barely stopping himself from thrusting up. The sight of Ryo's head bobbing up and down and the wet slide over his skin feels so good he thinks he could come right now. 

"Ryo," Uchi moans and then Ryo's free hand is down between his own legs, and Uchi can feel the bed jerk with the force of the strokes. 

"How do you want to do this?" Ryo asks a few seconds later, the shine on his lips distracting Uchi. 

"Just, do it," Uchi says, "fuck me." 

Ryo bites back a small noise, liking the sound of that. He's eager, hands shaking slightly when he goes for the lube he bought earlier and shoved in the drawer. 

He leans back, coating a finger and pressing it in, still pulling Uchi off, trying to keep him from going soft. Ryo watches Uchi's face, the way bites his lips as Ryo works his finger in and out, finally sliding a second one in alongside the first when Uchi looks like he can take it.

Uchi moans, a shaky hand grabbing at Ryo's bicep, squeezing tight when Ryo's thumb presses into the slit.

"Too slow," he complains, hips shifting against Ryo's hand.

"Greedy." Ryo laughs throatily and pumps his fist faster, liking the way Uchi gasps and his fingernails dig into his skin. Then Ryo pulls back, adding more lube and pushing in the third finger, pushing them in and out, slowly watching Uchi's mouth fall open and his thighs twitch.

Ryo doesn't know if he can wait much longer, his own cock hard and pressing against the back of Uchi's thigh. 

There's a quiet moment where Ryo pulls his fingers out, grabbing for the condom until Uchi pulls him closer by the shoulders so he can kiss him hot and open mouthed. His hand grabs for the condom so he can roll it onto Ryo himself, turned on even more by the choked off noise Ryo makes when his hand lingers and strokes him up and down quickly.

Uchi meets Ryo's eyes, pulling his legs up closer to his chest so Ryo can push inside him, tight and hot enough to make him want to come right there. He pauses, watching and waiting for the wrinkles on Uchi's forehead to smooth away before he starts pushing in and out fighting the resistance.

"Is it good?" Ryo asks, breath short.

Uchi can only groan, sweat gathered at his forehead and tongue slipping out to wet his lips. Ryo's gaze follows it and he leans down, stretching forward, sucking on Uchi's collarbone before leaning back to get a better angle, thrusting in harder and faster.

"Fuck," Uchi gasps, hands fisting in the sheets as Ryo hits him just right, sending shivers up and down his spine. He's almost there. If Ryo would just touch him, he'd be gone in seconds.

"Hot," Ryo mutters, lost in the feel of Uchi and moving faster against him, the sound of skin hitting skin mixed with the sounds of the bed creaking filling the room, only drowned out by their own voices.

"Ryo, please," Uchi whines, his own hand trembling and unsteady on his cock.

Ryo takes the hint, keeping one hand on Uchi's hip and jerking him off with the other, pace rough and with little finesse. It doesn't seem to matter much because it only takes Ryo hard inside him, hitting that one spot at the same time his wrist flicks for Uchi to come hard, moaning something like Ryo's name as he does.

Ryo seems to like that, leaning forward on his hands, and thrusting in and out as fast as he can. The way he bites his lip and the way his body jerks is the only sign he's come, hips moving against Uchi a few feeble times afterwards before he stills, breathing heavily.

Ryo brushes Uchi's damp bangs out of his eyes, unusually affectionate afterwards. Uchi runs a hand down Ryo's chest, resting it on his hips while Ryo pulls out, snapping off the condom.

Ryo grabs tissues, cleaning off Uchi's stomach and his own hands before collapsing down next to him, too tired (or so he tells himself) to push Uchi away when he wraps arms around his waist, lips pressing against his jaw.

Ryo turns slightly catching Uchi's lips with his own and kissing softly, softer than Uchi expected. It has a warm feeling spreading through his stomach. Ryo must be tired. He's not protesting Uchi pulling him closer, hooking their legs together and sliding his hand behind Ryo's head so he can kiss him deeper and longer, tongue sliding in.

"Hey, hey," Ryo breathes, pulling apart and trying to suppress a shiver when Uchi's mouth instead moves to his neck, kissing there hard enough to leave a mark.

"Work," Ryo murmurs. "You have it tomorrow."

"Don't care," Uchi breathes against his neck, but he stops, resting a hand over Ryo's abs just because he likes the feel of them underneath his fingers.

Ryo chuckles, stretching out and pulling at one of the spare blankets on the bed, trying to cover them both with it.

"Goodnight," he says sounding amused.

Uchi answers with another kiss, lips moving softly against Ryo's.

"Night." Uchi smiles. "I still like you, even if you snore really loud."

Ryo looks offended. "I do not snore."  
"No, of course not," Uchi says brightly, obviously making fun of Ryo.

"Whatever. Quit cuddling with me and making me sweaty, freak," Ryo grumbles.

Uchi just grins, ignoring him in favor of scooting closer. He knows Ryo likes it anyways. He doesn't have to say anything.


End file.
